The hazards of a person accidentally walking into a glass door, a floor-to-ceiling glass window or the like are well known. Although the most common result is moderate pain from the impact, coupled with shock and embarrassment, the impact pain can be severe, and, in some cases the glass can even break causing fatal or near fatal injury. Accordingly, the use of warning signs or markers on these glass panels has become widespread, and, in some cases, required by law. Most commonly, these signs or markers are permanently affixed to the surface of the glass, e.g., by painting, use of adhesive decals or the like. Although these conventional signs and markers adequately perform their safety function, they cannot be easily removed, relocated or replaced. Further, they are generally unsightly from the opposite side of the glass, which is typically open to viewing. While a corresponding sign or marker can be affixed in a corresponding location on the opposite side of the glass, precision alignment is difficult and the replacement, relocation and removal difficulties are doubled.
Although some products have been developed which minimize the removal, replacement and relocation difficulties, none has been entirely satisfactory. For example, one such product consists of a thin plastic decal which relies on the affinity of the material to cling to smooth glass, in the nature of modern plastic food wrap materials, rather than utilizing a glue adhesive. However, the adhesion is weak and diminishes with time. Use of these decals on both sides of the glass still requires difficult precision alignment. Finally, these decals will not adhere to most panels other than smooth glass, such as many plastics, textured glass and screens.
Another method of attaching a sign to a window so that it is easily removable is disclosed in German Pat. No. 497,373, wherein the sign is made of a magnetizable material, which is held in place by means of a magnet on the opposite side of the window. This device suffers from the disadvantage that the magnet is unsightly from the opposite side of the window. Further, with larger gaps between the magnet and the sign or with heavier signs, a bulkier and heavier magnet is required which adds to the unsightliness, as well as the exposure to accidental displacement by bumping, wind, rain, or the like. In the case of modern fabric screens, a metal sign and a heavy magnet can cause permanent stretching and distortion of the screen material.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a device for mounting signs or markers to a variety of panels, such as smooth and textured glass, various plastics and fabric screens, which is easily mounted, removed, replaced and relocated, which has strong adhesive properties and which is lightweight and attractive from both sides of the panel.